Around 15,000 average-stocked farmers will be required to spread slurry with low emission slurry spreading (LESS) equipment from 1 January 2025.

Under the Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters Regulations, the rollout of the compulsory use of LESS is being introduced on a phased basis, depending on their farm stocking rate and their farm type.

From next year, farmers with a stocking rate of between 100kg of organic nitrogen per hectare and 129kg N/ha, of which there are around 15,000, will be banned from using splash plates.

“Based on 2023 grassland stocking rate figures, an estimated 41,000 farmers are expected to be required to use LESS equipment when applying slurry in 2025,” a Department spokesperson told the Irish Farmers Journal.

Obligation

“This is in addition to those farmers who are required to use LESS equipment when applying pig slurry and for applications of slurry to arable land, where the slurry is not being incorporated into the soil within 24 hours.”

Since the start of the year, 26,000 farmers who are stocked above 130kg N/ha have been obliged to spread slurry via LESS means.